Forever is over?
by PrehistoricCat
Summary: Connor and Abby are splitting up
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to ITV and Impossible pictures, no copyright intended**

**A/N: Thought we needed more Abby/Connor angst ... but from a different angle.**

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Abby stood, looking around her at the empty flat. Connor's things were all packed into boxes by the door, her things packed in boxes at the other end of the flat. This was finally it. The end.

She wondered if she should be helping Connor load up the car he'd borrowed from Duncan. He had already taken one car load to his new bedsit, and was now just starting to load up for a second trip. It didn't seem right to help him, almost like she couldn't wait for him to leave. She decided to disappear for a while and leave him to it. This was already hard enough for both of them.

She wasn't sure when things started to go wrong in their relationship, it just slowly happened. Abby sighed, the last five years had been the best she'd ever had, and Connor was a huge part of that. For three of those years, he'd been her friend and her rock, although she hadn't really realised just how much she needed him until they'd been stuck in the past. They settled into a routine very quickly there, the daytime being about survival – finding food and water, searching for signs of Danny or Helen, watching and waiting for an anomaly to open – the night-time was about being together, being thankful they had each other, and comforting each other when it felt like they would never see home again. They had sex most nights, it was soft, warm, comforting and something they both needed. They would fall asleep in each others arms, sometimes she would be in Connor's arms, sometimes he would be in hers.

When they eventually got home, Connor had been afraid that they'd go back to how it had been before. The first night in the flat, they had gone to their own separate beds. Abby had woken in the night and felt lonely. She crept upstairs and slid into Connor's bed. He was awake, and had been crying. Making love in the comfort of a bed seemed so much more intense than on the hard stony ground of their cave, and Abby had actually told Connor she loved him. It was the first time she'd said it to anyone that mattered.

After that, they decided to start dating properly. They had fun, taking it in turns to take the other out somewhere. They moved into a new flat, this time with both their names on the lease and just one bedroom. Connor had said he would love her forever – "Forever's a long time Connor" she had said. He just grinned at her, and took off the ring he wore around his neck.

"It's probably too big for you to wear on your finger, but I want you to have it" he tied the piece of leather around her neck, allowing the ring to settle just above her cleavage. It meant the world to Connor that she was wearing his father's wedding ring, and Abby saw it as sealing their relationship.

But after about 18 months, things seemed to change. The little things Connor did that she used to find endearing became annoying, and when she mentioned them, instead of the puppy dog eyes and obedience he used to respond with, he would snap back at her. He used to ignore her mood swings, but now he found them frustrating. They had some blazing rows, and both became too stubborn to back down and apologise. They still shared the same bed, but the gap between them seemed as wide as the Grand Canyon. Finally, Connor cracked after one particularly bad argument and lost his temper. He threw a paperweight across the room, only just missing Abby by inches. He hadn't aimed it at her, but it scared him, scared them both. She disappeared into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. He slept on the sofa every night after that.

Admitting it was over was almost as hard as admitting they were in love, and it was Connor who first voiced it. "It's not working is it Abby" he said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact. His heart felt heavy and he had a lump in his throat.

"No it's not" she said, she was shaking inside.

"I'll move out" he said, she didn't argue with him or try to persuade him to stay. She'd just nodded.

Connor found a bedsit just a couple of streets away, and Abby also found a new place across town – she didn't think she could face being alone in the place that had been hers and Connor's, she needed to start afresh.

Abby stuck her head around the door, Connor had taken the last of his boxes and she could see him walking slowly back towards the flat. She went to the open front door and tried to smile, but it wouldn't come. He handed her his key silently and held her gaze for a brief moment. She put the key in her pocket, and took out Connor's ring. She pressed it into his palm and he wrapped his fingers around it, closing his eyes. It was the final nail in the coffin. "Take care Connor" she said.

"You too" he whispered. He swallowed. "I'll ….erm … I'll see you at work on Monday then"

"Yeah" she said back. Her throat felt like she was being strangled. She watched him get into the car and drive away. This was it. No more 'Connor and Abby'. It was over.

--

Fortunately, Monday was a quiet day at the ARC. She shut herself in the lab, busying herself with the plants. From the window, she could look down into the main hub where the ADD was. She often sat there, watching Connor work. Occasionally he would look up at her and wave, that gorgeous smile on his face, but not today. He had his back to her, and she could just see from his body language that he was sad, dejected. Danny had gone over to him and they were chatting, she presumed about work until she saw Danny place a friendly hand on Connor's shoulder. Connor's head was down. He was hurting. She bit her bottom lip and turned away, fighting back tears.

--

Danny was sat in the kitchen with Sarah and Becker, he'd asked them to come and have a chat. "I thought I'd just let you guys know, Connor and Abby have split up. They both moved into separate flats at the weekend"

"Oh no!" Sarah said.

"It's hardly a surprise is it" Becker said. "We've all noticed the tension between them recently"

"I know, but those two are just perfect for each other, I thought they were just going through a bit of a blip and they'd work it out" Sarah was in shock.

"Connor seems pretty cut up about it, I told him if he needed to take some time off I'd cover for him with Lester, but he wants to be here. I haven't even seen Abby yet, but I suppose she's just as upset" Danny said

"As long as it doesn't interfere with our work" Becker said

"Have some compassion, Becker!" Sarah chided. "This isn't just two nameless office workers we're talking about here, this is Connor and Abby, our friends. They're going to need our support"

"People who bring their personal problems into work are a danger" Becker said.

"I'll be keeping an eye on things, Becker" Danny said "And if I think it's causing a problem then I'll deal with it, but as Sarah said, they are still our friends and need our support right now"

Sarah made her way to Abby's lab. She waved through the window and questioned if it was OK to come in. Abby nodded and Sarah went in. "Hey" she said

"Hey yourself" Abby said

"Are you OK?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Abby avoided eye contact

"Abby …. I heard about you and Connor. I'm sorry"

Abby took a deep breath. "Don't be. It's for the best. We've been hurting each other for too long"

"Still …. You've been through a lot together, it can't be easy just ending all that"

Abby felt tears welling up inside. She was desperately trying not to cry, she'd done enough of that over the weekend. But hearing someone else talking about the break up made it even more real, and Abby suddenly realised she needed a hug. She broke down, sobbing hard. Sarah pulled Abby to her, wrapping her comforting arms around the tiny girl's body. She just let Abby sob, not saying a word. She glanced out of the window and saw Connor. He'd been watching, and was now scurrying away, hoping he hadn't been seen. Sarah thought he obviously still cared about Abby, and couldn't help thinking that maybe there could still be hope for the pair of them…


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures, no copyright intended**

**Maybe there is still a glimmer of hope.....  
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Things weren't as awkward at work as Connor had expected. He and Abby managed to stay out of each other's way most of the time, he worked at the ADD or at his own computer, she stayed in the lab, or at her own computer. Occasionally, he'd have to go past Abby's window when it was his turn to make coffee for the ADD staff. He glanced in once or twice, but he never caught her eye. After that first day when he'd seen her crying and Sarah comforting her, he'd felt a real stab of guilt.

Things were very quiet for several weeks, and then came the first anomaly call since the split, and it was awkward. They'd automatically got into the back seat of Danny's car as usual, and as Connor reached down to fasten his seat belt, he caught Abby's hand. They made eye contact for a brief moment before he looked away. "Sorry" he muttered.

"S'OK" she muttered back.

"Everything OK back there?" Danny said, glancing at Sarah beside him. He was wondering if he should ask Sarah to swap seats with Abby.

"It's fine, Danny. Let's go, we have a job to do" Abby said. She looked at Connor. "We're fine, aren't we Connor?"

"Yes" he nodded.

Danny drove off, heading for the anomaly site. The silence from the back seat was strange, usually there would be banter between all four of them as they travelled to an anomaly. Sarah started a conversation, but only Danny was answering. She glanced behind her, Abby was staring out of the side window, chewing her bottom lip – something Sarah had noted she'd been doing a lot recently, Connor was staring out of the window on his side, obviously lost in his thoughts.

When they got to the anomaly site, Becker and his team were already setting up the locking device and arming their rifles. "The creature went off into the forest" he said, pointing in the direction it had gone.

"Any idea what it was?" Connor said

Becker shook his head "Not one I've seen before, kind of reptilian rather than a mammal, ran on its hind legs, pretty fast too, bit bigger than that Raptor we chased the other week"

"OK, we need to make sure we have plenty of tranquiliser – Abby?" Connor turned to Abby, she was already handing out cartridges to the soldiers.

"I'm on it Connor" she said. They were all armed, rifles, handguns and tranquilisers, and ready to go. Before, Sarah would have gone off with Danny and Becker, whilst Connor and Abby went off with a couple of Becker's men as back up. Danny made a decision to change that, he didn't want personal issues to cause any problems

"Sarah, you go with Connor and Becker. Abby and I will go with Jones and Weston" The team split up into the two groups and off they went. Connor was relieved Danny had made the decision for them, he didn't want any akwardness, and it was still too early for him to feel comfortable around Abby. He followed Becker into the forest, gun raised.

Within a few minutes, the radio was crackling. It was Danny "We've spotted it. Abby thinks it's a Galimimus" he stumbled on the word.

Connor nodded. He knew Abby would be right. They owed their lives to a herd of these creatures when they were in the Cretaceous … they had followed the herd to a lake. If they hadn't found water when they did, they both would have died within hours. "We're safe" he told Danny "They eat insects and small animals"

"Where are you Danny? We're on our way" Becker radioed back, and Danny gave him some co-ordinates. Connor followed Becker, deep in thought. As they came to the location Danny had given, he stared up at the Galimimus. It was a glorious sight to him, like seeing an old friend. He stole a glance at Abby, she was smiling, obviously having the same thoughts as him.

After a short effort, the creature had been chased back into the anomaly and Sarah locked it behind it. "Another job well done guys" Danny said "Anyone fancy a beer?" They all said yes, it had been a while since they'd socialised as a team, and some much needed team bonding was well overdue. Driving to the pub near the ARC, the conversation was much less awkward, and Danny was relieved some of the tension had lifted.

"It was good to see one of those again eh?" Connor said to Abby

"Yeah, it was" she smiled. She closed her eyes. For a brief moment she was back in happier times. They got out of the car, and Danny handed the keys to one of Becker's men who had offered to take the car back to the ARC. They strolled inside the pub and Abby and Sarah automatically went off to find a table, whilst the men went to the bar.

"My round" Danny said

"That's a first!" Becker laughed "I thought you were like the Queen and didn't carry money around with you!"

"Make the most of it" Danny said "I don't do this very often…. Connor, what are you having?"

"I'll have a pint of Fosters, thanks" he said.

"Becker, go find out what the girls want" Danny said, as he ordered everyone's drinks. Connor helped him take the drinks over, and then sat down at the table. Without thinking, everyone had saved the seat next to Abby for Connor. He looked to Danny for help, but he was already deep in conversation with Becker about football. Abby and Sarah were also deep in conversation. He sat down, feeling a bit like a spare part, and drank his pint.

When Sarah got up to go to the bathroom, Abby finally spoke to him. "How are you?" she said

"I'm OK, you know me… you? Settling into your new place?"

"Yeah, it's a bit strange not having ….." she'd almost said 'you around', but changed her mind. "It's a bit strange not having all that space, but I'll get there" he nodded. He didn't know what else to say, and was relieved when Sarah came back.

Becker left after just one drink, muttering something about an early night. Connor was pretty quiet most of the evening, just drinking anything that was put in front of him. Danny was flirting with Sarah, although most of it was the drink talking, and both Sarah and Abby thought is was just amusing and giggled like school girls. Connor rolled his eyes.

"What?" Abby snapped at him. "Am I not allowed to laugh now?"

"I didn't say anything" he said. He'd been here before, Abby's mood swings were something the others didn't witness very often.

"You didn't need to, it was the look you gave me"

"I'm sorry I breathed" he snapped back. He stood up and went to the bar. Danny followed him. "Can I get you another pint Danny?"

"Yes, thanks… although I think you need to take it easy" Danny placed a brotherly hand on Connor's shoulder.

Connor shrugged it away. "I'll decide when I've had enough Danny"

They both leaned against the bar, drinking. "Is that how she's been?" Danny said, nodding towards Abby

"Yup. She hates me." He drank a large mouthful, and swayed slightly. Danny knew the signs, Connor had had far too much to drink and he needed to try and persuade him to leave.

"She doesn't hate you, mate. You two just need to clear the air about the things that annoy you about each other. I think you just ran away from the problem instead of sitting down and trying to fix it"

"I love her Danny" Connor said, fighting back tears.

"You should tell her that, Connor … when you're sober" Danny grabbed Connor's arm as he began to sway even more. "Let's get you home eh?"

Connor gave up. "OK, take me home. I feel sick"

Danny led Connor towards the door, calling to Sarah and Abby "Night ladies … I'm going to get him home before he embarrasses us all". Sarah and Danny exchanged concerned glances as they said their goodbyes.

After they'd gone, Sarah suggested going too. "Why don't we get pizza or something and go back to mine? You can sleep on my sofa if you like"

Abby nodded, it sounded a good idea. She hated going back to the flat alone. She finished the last of her drink and she and Sarah left.

--

Pizza and a girlie chat was just what Abby needed. Sarah listened intently as Abby poured her heart out to her. "I just don't know why things went wrong" she said "One minute, Connor and I were all loved up, the next, we were at each other's throats"

"Was there anything that started it off?"

"Not that I can put my finger on. I think it was just a slow burning thing that escalated and exploded in our faces. Thing is, now he's not around … I miss him"

Sarah smiled. "That's hopeful. Something to work on?"

"There are things about him that annoy the hell out of me, and I don't know if I can live with them"

"You managed five years, Abby. What changed?"

"I don't know"

"Did you guys ever sit down and tell each other what the problem was? Did you consider counselling?" Sarah suspected she knew the answer already. The whole reason it took Connor and Abby three years to get together in the first place was because they never actually sat down and talked.

Abby shook her head "Stupid eh?"

"Yes" Sarah said. "You still have feelings for him right?"

"Yes. He's the best thing that happened to me. But it's too late, I drove him away"

"Maybe not. If he didn't care, why was he getting so drunk tonight? If you two just sat down and talked …."

"I doubt he would listen" she began to cry. Sarah hugged her. She really felt for Abby, but was also frustrated. She had to try and get the two of them to sit down and talk before the damage they had already caused became irreparable. She resolved to get them talking by the end of the week.

She fetched Abby a blanket from the cupboard and left her to settle down for the night.

--

Abby tried to sleep, but the sofa wasn't that comfortable. She eventually drifted off,

but was woken about an hour later by her mobile ringing. It was Danny, he sounded strange "Abby. I'm at the hospital. It's Connor. There's been an accident"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible pictures, no copyright intended**

**Hope you're enjoying the angst? ... there's more to come ;)**

**Danny is blaming himself for Connor's accident**

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Danny was a mess. When he'd been a uniformed police officer, he'd attended countless road accidents, pedestrian casualties and so on, and seen far worse than he'd witnessed tonight, but nothing quite prepares for you for seeing a friend get run over and lying unconscious on the floor.

He'd only taken his eyes off Connor for a few moments. They'd not been able to hail a taxi in the street, so they decided to walk to Connor's flat. He reckoned it would only take 20 minutes, but almost an hour later they were still wandering the streets, and Danny thought they were lost. He propped Connor against a lamp-post whilst he went into the Chinese takeaway to ask for directions, and when he came out, Connor had gone. The next thing he knew, there was a screech of brakes and a woman screaming "Oh my god, someone call an ambulance, he's been hit!". Danny knew it was Connor before he even looked.

It's amazing how quickly you sober up when you're faced with something like this. Danny was at Connor's side in an instant. He tried to ignore the blood, and concentrated on trying to wake Connor up. "Come on mate, stop messing about". He knew it was useless. Connor was unconscious. In a daze, Danny looked around him for support. A younger guy came over and said he was a nurse. Danny moved aside and let the young guy look after Connor. Someone else said an ambulance was on its way. The driver of the car was stood on the pavement, being comforted by passer-bys.

Danny got in the ambulance with Connor after giving his name and details to the police. Several eye witnesses stated Connor had just stepped into the road without looking, the poor driver didn't stand a chance. Danny blamed himself, he knew Connor had had far too much to drink, and yet he'd left him.

The doctors at the hospital told Danny that Connor would need emergency surgery, he had serious internal injuries, and would need a blood transfusion as well. They'd said it was pretty serious, and that Danny should contact Connor's next of kin. He didn't know if Connor had any family, so the only person he could think of to call was Abby. He called Sarah too, knowing Abby would be in no fit state to get to the hospital herself. Then he sat and waited. If Connor died, he would never forgive himself.

--

Sarah had called Becker, and he was at her house in minutes. Sarah led Abby into his car, and sat with her in the back seat, holding her hand. "He'll be OK" she whispered. Abby was sobbing hard. No matter how much Sarah tried to convince her it was OK, she knew things must be serious. Danny wouldn't have called at this time of night if Connor had just stumbled and broken his ankle or something.

Becker dropped Sarah and Abby at the entrance to the casualty department, and then went to find a parking space. Danny was waiting for them in the reception area. "Danny, what happened?" Sarah said.

"He just … wandered off…. I shouldn't have left him. Next thing I know he's been hit by a car and lying half dead in the middle of the road"

"Where is he? I need to see him!" Abby demanded.

"I don't know. They took him off for emergency surgery … no-ones told me anything since" Danny said. He was shaking, his face deathly pale and sweat pouring down his cheeks. Sarah put her arm around him.

Becker had arrived by now. He took control of the situation. "Abby, Sarah, stay with Danny, I'll go and find someone who can tell us what's going on" For once, they were all grateful for Becker's no nonsense approach. Minutes later, Becker came back with a nurse. She was a senior nurse on the casualty unit.

"Your friend is in surgery at the moment. He had a massive internal bleed to the stomach and kidney area, which the surgeon is trying to repair now. He's also got a fractured pelvis, which will have to be set into traction when he comes out of the theatre" the nurse was very matter-of-fact, but it seemed comforting.

"Thank you" Becker said "Can someone come and tell us when he's out of surgery?" She nodded, and told them they could wait in one of the side rooms if they liked. The four of them all went in, Sarah doing her best to comfort both Abby and Danny, Becker pacing anxiously up and down. He fetched coffee for all of them from the machine down the corridor, then sat, silently waiting for news with the others.

--

Hours passed. Daylight was breaking when a doctor finally came in. "He's been taken to intensive care, the surgery went well, and we gave him a blood transfusion. We set his pelvis in a cast and have immobilised him so the fracture can heal"

"How is he?" Abby said shakily. "Is he still unconscious?"

The doctor nodded "Its probably for the best at the moment. He'd be in considerable pain if he was awake. The next few hours are critical, we'll know more then"

Everyone breathed a visible sigh of relief "I suggest you all go home and get some sleep. You've had a long night. Come back and see him later this afternoon" the doctor said.

"Can I see him before I go? Abby said. "Just for a few minutes?"

The doctor nodded, "I'll take you up there"

"Do you want us to wait for you Abby?" Sarah said. Abby shook her head. Sarah suspected Abby would not leave after just a few minutes.

--

Stepping into Connor's cubicle on the intensive care ward was a shock. "You have to bare in mind that the equipment you see is merely for monitoring him, he's not on life support" The doctor told her. "Try to see the beep of the heart monitor as a comfort, it tells you he's OK"

Abby stared. From the chest upwards, she could almost imagine he was just sleeping. His stomach was wrapped in a huge bandage, and then there was a metal frame, holding his pelvis in place. He was connected to a heart monitor and a drip.

"I'll leave you for a little while" the doctor said softly. Abby smiled a thank you at him and watched him disappear through the curtain. With a deep breath, she sat on the edge of Connor's bed, leaning over him so her face was almost touching his.

"Connor" she whispered "What have you done to yourself eh?" she was trying to keep it light, but she was struggling with her emotions. She gently touched his cheek as she fought back tears, this was the most intimate she'd been with him for a long time. She leaned in closer, and kissed him lightly on the lips. That familiar taste, scent, warmth, that was Connor filled her head. She had missed this so much, and she realised this was exactly where she should be. She longed for his lips to respond to hers, longed for his touch, but knew these intimacies would not happen again, at least not yet.

She held his hand and brushed it against her own cheek, allowing herself to sob, then resting her head on his chest. She didn't hear the doctor come back, and she didn't notice when a nurse came in and draped a blanket around her. She fallen asleep, still holding Connor's hand.

--

"Quinn, go home!" Lester barked. Danny had not had any sleep. After Becker had driven him home, he showered, got changed, downed two large coffees and then made his way to the ARC. Becker had filled Lester in on the night's events, and neither had expected to see Danny, Abby or Sarah today. Sarah had phoned, and said she'd come in if there was an anomaly alert but otherwise she was going to try and catch up on sleep then go and try and persuade Abby to leave Connor for a couple of hours.

"I need to be here, sir" Danny said

"Becker can keep an eye on things here. You're no use to anyone in this state" Lester said.

Danny was defiant. "I need to file the report on yesterday's anomaly whilst it's still fresh in my head"

"The world isn't going to end because a report doesn't get filed on time" Lester said "Go home. Get some sleep. That's an order, Quinn"

He left, but being Danny, he didn't quite follow orders. He went to the hospital. The nurse told him to go through, and could he wake Abby so that the doctor can examine Connor? He'd seen this scene a number of times when he'd had to get statements from relatives after accidents. It made him smile, at least this seemed to have brought them back together.

He gently shook Abby to wake her. She opened her eyes, and for a moment seemed a bit dazed. "Danny…. What time is it?"

"Almost 11. Have you been here since we left?"

She nodded. "I need to be here. I want to be here when he wakes up"

"Have you eaten?" she shook her head. "Neither have I, come on, let's go and see if we can find somewhere to get a bacon sandwich or something. The doctor needs some time with Connor to make sure everything's as it should be" He held out his hand for Abby. She took it, and stood up, then sat down again. "You OK?"

"I think I'm just tired, and hungry" she said "Felt a bit dizzy, that's all"

"Lean on me if you like, I won't tell Connor" Danny grinned. Again, she attempted to stand up. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor, looking up at Danny and a doctor.

"Abby. You fainted, sweetheart" Danny was saying. "The doctor is going to take you over to one of the other cubicles and check you over"

"I'm fine, its just because I haven't eaten" she said

"Let me be the judge of that, Miss Maitland" the doctor said. Danny helped the doctor lift her onto a bed in the next cubicle then discreetly disappeared to allow the doctor to examine her. He went to sit with Connor.

--

Abby hated a fuss being made over her. She'd just been a bit stupid in not eating properly for a few days .. OK, maybe it was more like a few weeks, but that was all this was. It was a wake up call to start looking after herself again. The doctor had taken blood samples and prodded and poked her. She felt worse than when he'd started.

"Your friend out there told me you and your boyfriend have had a bit of a rough time recently?"

Abby nodded "You could say that" she said.

"And you've been neglecting yourself a bit, am I right?"

"Guilty" she said. "Look, I'll be fine once I get a proper meal inside me. Danny and I were just going to get something to eat when I fainted"

"You need to take better care of yourself, Miss Maitland. If not for you, then for the sake of your baby"

"What?" Maybe she hadn't heard him correctly.

"You're not aware you're pregnant?" the doctor said.

"I can't be!" Abby said. "Connor and I haven't …"

"From my examination, I'd say you're at about 16 to 18 weeks, but I can arrange an ultra sound to confirm that, I'll get you down there later this afternoon" the doctor was writing some notes.

"No … it would be more like 5 months since we…." Abby couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. The doctor had to be mistaken.

"It could just be a small baby. The ultra sound will tell us more. Try not to worry. I'll send a nurse to come and get you when they're ready for you" He left, leaving Abby shell shocked.

Five months ago, it had been the night before Connor's violent outburst. Things were already bad between them, and she'd stopped taking her pill. She'd woken in the night to Connor crying. Despite all the angry words they'd exchanged, she couldn't bear to see Connor hurting, and she'd slipped her arm around his waist. It was the anniversary of his father's death. "I need you Abby" he said. She wrapped herself around him, comforting, and they made love for the first time in weeks. It was also their last time. It had only been brief, but extremely intense, and they'd both sobbed afterwards. Thinking back, maybe it was that that had sparked off Connor's outburst the following night. They should have talked, but instead, she had got up early and went for run. Connor had taken that to mean she'd only been interested in the sex, and that was it.

She ran her hand over her stomach, noticing for the first time that there was a slight curve there. She was pregnant, with Connor's baby. In the next cubicle, Connor was still lying unconscious, and she was struck with terror … what if he never woke up?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Primeval doesn't belong to me, no copyright intended**

**A/N: Although I'm ending this now, its still open .. this kind of story can go on and on ... so I might return to it at some point once other things are out of the way**

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Connor leaned back awkwardly onto his pillow. He hoped the nurse would be in soon to adjust his position so he could lie down and get some sleep. He turned to look at the photograph that Abby had propped against the lamp on his bedside table – it was from the ultra sound scan. He still couldn't quite grasp the fact he was going to be a father, and whilst most fathers had pretty much the full nine months to get used to the idea, he had less than four, and for at least two of those months, he'd be in hospital immobilised whilst his injured pelvis healed.

He wasn't scared of being a father, he quite liked babies and young children. Growing up, his parents had been foster carers and they often had babies and toddlers in the house. Sometimes they'd only stay for a few days, others stayed for several months. It made up for not having a real brother or sister.

What did scare him though was his relationship with Abby. He loved her more than life itself, and he believed she loved him. It should be perfect, the two of them together again, bringing up their child … but Connor couldn't promise Abby the "happily ever after" she wanted, not yet, and she had left that evening upset. He hated hurting her in this way, but he had thought it through and knew, unless he did something, she would end up hurting him more….

--

It had started the day he woke up after the accident. He knew things had changed whilst he'd been unconscious. As he blinked his eyes and began to stir, he heard a familiar voice

"Conn? I'm here" she whispered, her hand touching his face.

"Abby?" he croaked, his face twisting in pain as his eyes opened.

"Shh, it's OK. You're in the hospital, do you remember what happened?" He shook his head. "I'm going to find a nurse, get them to give you something for the pain. I'll be back in a minute" she scurried out, scanning the ward looking for a nurse.

Connor was confused. The last thing he remembered was standing at the bar with Danny after he'd walked away from Abby. How had he got here? Why did his entire body hurt so much? Why was Abby here? The nurse came in, followed by Abby. She injected something into him and smiled. "That should help for a few hours, and then the doctor can sort you out properly in the morning" she turned to Abby "Call me if you need anything else, I'll be at the main desk"

Abby sat on the bed again, stroking Connor's hair. "It's good to have you back with us" she was smiling.

"What happened to me?" he said

"You got hit by a car on your way home from the bar, you've been out of it for nearly 24 hours"

"Explains a lot" he said. He could feel the pain killer slowly taking effect, but it was also making him drowsy again. He felt his eyelids droop. But he didn't want to sleep, he still had questions. "Abby?"

"Conn?"

"You were here, holding my hand …. I thought we … I didn't think you …."

"Yes, I've been here. Just because we're not together, it doesn't mean I don't care about you" she could feel tears falling down her cheeks. She leaned into him and kissed his lips. He automatically responded, his lips seeking more from her. It was brief, but it was a start. As she pulled away, he felt tears in his own eyes.

"Don't do this to me Abby. Not now"

"We need to talk. When you're up to it." she said.

Connor was drifting off to sleep. "Yeah, talking would be good" he whispered, his eyes closing.

--

Abby spent a lot of time with him over the next few days, and for the first time in a long time, he actually liked being with her. They held hands, they gave each other brief, tender kisses, and most importantly, they talked. It was like the early days of their romance, when little gestures meant so much. They realised they had come to take those things for granted. Abby was falling in love with Connor all over again, the dimple in his cheek when he smiled, the glint in his eyes … all the things that had attracted her to him in the first place. Connor was also falling for her again, but he was weary.

About a week after the accident, Connor was moved from the intensive care ward and into a more private room. They told him he was considered a long term patient, and they settled him in with a few home comforts. He even had his own tv. Abby visited as usual that evening and settled down to watch tv with him. It was almost like home, Abby resting her head on his shoulder, his arm around her. "Conn? … can we try again?"

"Try again? You mean, get back together?"

She nodded. "It'll be different this time. It has to be"

"I'm willing to try, if you are"

"Kiss me, Connor" she placed her hand on his cheek, urging him towards her. Their lips crushed together, both desperate for more than just warmth and comfort. "I love you so much" Abby sobbed, as Connor kissed her again, his tongue teasing her lower lip until she parted her lips to allow him inside.

"Love you too" he murmured, sinking deeper into the embrace. He cursed his lack of mobility, wanting more, needing more. Abby was guiding his hand somewhere, he hoped he wasn't going to embarrass himself … but she had placed his hand on her stomach and then pulled away. He was confused.

"Connor, there's something I need to tell you" she was saying. He took his hand away and looked at her. "Put it back, Connor" she whispered.

"Ok" he said. What was going on? Abby placed her hand over his and looked him straight in the eyes

"I'm pregnant"

The words took a moment to register. "Pregnant?" he felt himself start to cry.

Abby was nodding "I've only known a few days, but I'm actually five months on …"

Connor blinked. Five months, his father's anniversary. He gently stroked her stomach, his head spinning. In the midst of all that anger and hate, one moment of love had broken through and given them something to remind them of that love. "Wow!" was all that he could say.

Abby reached into her back pocket and pulled out the wallet she carried her ARC id in. Tucked behind the id card was a photo, it was from the ultra sound scan. "That's Junior" she said, handing him the photo. "It's a little small for five months apparently, but the doctor said it wasn't a concern. Everything looks fine on the scan"

Connor stared at it "wow" he said again, not quite believing what he was seeing.

Abby laughed. "You're going to have to hurry up and get yourself well. We'll need another new place with a second bedroom, and then set up a nursery"

"The doctor said I'll be in traction for at least 2 months, and then I'll probably need physio and stuff. I won't be much help. Besides, it'll be your place, you have to make the choices" Connor swallowed hard. He knew that wasn't what Abby wanted to hear.

"You mean our place, right?" she said

He shook his head. "I don't think us living together is a good idea, at least not for a while" he squeezed her hand tightly.

"I thought you were OK with this, that you wanted to try again?" Abby didn't understand, it felt like her world was crumbling around her again, just as it was starting to rebuild

"I do want to be with you, Abby. I love you. But if we just go straight back into a full blown relationship without properly resolving the issues we had before, then how long before it all starts again? I can't go through that again, and we certainly can't put a baby through that."

"If that's what you want" Abby said. The tremble in her voice betrayed her, despite trying to put a brave front on.

"It's not what I want. It's what we need" he said.

Abby curled herself into a ball beside Connor on the bed. He snuggled into her the best he could. "We'll be OK you know" he whispered "the three of us"

"Yeah" she whispered back.

--

Abby had left about an hour after that, tears staining her cheeks. Had he been wrong to be more cautious this time? The hurting he'd suffered in the last few months would take longer to heal than she realised. He got the impression she believed the baby was a magic wand that would just erase everything that had happened.

Abby had been looking for a happy ending today, but it would have been hers, not his. Why had she assumed Connor would do what she wanted? Maybe that was part of the issue with them, he always went along with what she wanted and never actually said what he wanted. He just tried to make her happy, and she allowed that, never considering that Connor might have his own idea of what made him happy. If things were going to work out, then they both needed to change – he had to stop being a doormat, and she had to give a little more, and maintaining a little distance between them might help both of them.

He turned back from the photo and he closed his eyes. Connor Temple was finally growing up and realising what he wanted. He knew Abby wouldn't like it, but if she really did love him, then she would have to get used to it. This had to work this time, there was more than just their own life to consider and that tiny life growing inside Abby deserved better than what they had before.


End file.
